Theenhausen



March. 22, 1955 H. THEENHAUSEN LIGHTING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 18, 1951 Inventor." W M. w? M47 W United States Patent LIGHTING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Heinrich Theenhausen, Bielefeld, Germany, assignor to Anker-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Bielefeld, Germany, a German corporation Application October 18, 1951, Serial No. 251,875

Claims priority, application Germany April 21, 1951 2 Claims. (Cl. 112258) My invention relates to sewing machines and particularly to an electric lighting device for illuminating the working area of such machines.

The conventional sewing-machine lighting fixtures, for attachment at the front side of the sewing head, have a cap-shaped lamp screen or reflector with an electric lamp socket and a pertaining switch. Even if such a fixture s attached by means of a revolvablc or articulated )OlIlt, It is always connected with the sewing head and hence not well suitable for providing illumination at machine portions remote from the presser foot.

It is an object of my invention to devise a sew ng-machine lighting device that, while permanently joined or joinable with the machine structure, not only provides illumination of the working area but may also be placed in a position whence it illuminates the interior of the machine structure to facilitate inspection, oil change, or repair work.

Another object of my invention is to combine a lIghtIng device with the machine structure so that it forms an integral part of the housing of the machine arm and sewing head.

According to my invention, the lighting device for a sewing machine comprises a cover member of elongated and generally angular shape which extends along the top of the machine arm and has a cowl or lamp screen portion extending downwardly along the front side of the sewing head when the cover member is in its normal position. The cover member is movably joined with the arm structure of the machine, preferably by being hinged to the pedestal side of the arm structure, so that the cover member can be placed into a raised position in which the cowl portion is spaced from the sewing head of the arm. A lamp or its socket is mounted on the cover member beneath the cowl portion so that normally the working area is illuminated while the interior of the arm and head structure receives illumination when the cover member is in the raised position.

According to another feature of my invention, the cover member with its cowl portion forms part of the arm and head structure of the machine. That is, the main body of the machine structure is open at the top and preferably also at the front side of the sewing head, and is closed up by the above mentioned cover member.

According to still another feature of the invention, the cover member and its cowl portion consist of a single piece, preferably of insulating material.

The foregoing and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiment exemplified by the drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a sewing machine and lighting device according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the pertaining cover member, the section being taken along the plane indicated at AA in Fig. 1.

The illustrated sewing machine, as customary, has a pedestal portion 5 mounted on a base 14 and merging with a hollow arm 1 which is joined with a downwardly extending sewing head 4 for accommodating the vertically reciprocable needle bar above the working area of the base. According to the invention the arm and head struc ture is normally covered by an elongated cover member 2 which extends from the pedestal end of the arm to the sewing head and covers the front side of the sewing head by a downwardly extending cowl or lamp screen portion 2'. The cover member is hinged at 3 to the pedestal side of the machine structure. The cover member and its cowl portion consist preferably of a single piece and hence form together a substantially angular body. The cowl portion 2' has generally a downwardly flaring shape and has several skirt portions 6 adjoining one another and serving to improve the heat dissipation from the lamp 7 mounted on the cover member beneath the cowl portion and covered by a transparent window pane 8. The bottom 9 of the cowl portion is upwardly bevelled away from the sewing head in adaptation to the operators hand space.

The cover member can be turned upwardly about the hinge 3 into the position shown by dot-and-dash lines. Knee-type struts 10 are linked to the cover member and to the arm 1 for holding the cover member in the raised position. To insulate the lamp cable 11, mounted on the inside of the cover member, the cover member with its cowl portion is preferably made of insulating material.

As apparent from the cross section of the cover member 2 shown in Fig. 2, this member has reinforced rim portions which extend along the top of the arm 1 and along the front of the sewing head 4. The reinforced rims 13 of the arm are equipped with a rubber gasket 12 or the like which engages a corresponding pressure face of the arm and head structure to tightly seal the interior of the machine when the cover member is in its normal, closed position.

The base 14 of the machine is equipped with a switch 15 for controlling the lamp 7 and with the socket portion 116 of a plug coupling for connection to a current-supply It is apparent from the illustration that when the cover member is in its closed position, the light beam of lamp 7 will pass through the window 8 onto the working surface and any sewing material at the pressure foot, while, when the cover member is in the open position shown by dotand-dash lines, the same lamp is sufliciently spaced and raised from the sewing head to illuminate the interior of sewing head and arm for facilitating inspection and maintenance work.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my invention permits of various modifications as regards construction details or shape of the lighting device and its components, without departure from the essential features of the invention set forth in the claims annexed thereto.

I claim:

l. A sewing machine, comprising a housing structure having a vertical pedestal portion and an arm portion extending horizontally from said pedestal portion and a sewing head subtending from said arm portion remote from said pedestal portion, said arm portion forming an upwardly-open channel structure and said head forming a frontally-open channel structure, a sewing-machine mechanism disposed within said upwardly-open and frontallyopen channel structures, a cover member covering the top of said arm portion and having a cowl portion covering the front of said head when said cover member is in normal position for enclosing said mechanism, said cover member being movable relative to said structure to a raised position in which said cowl portion is upwardly spaced from said head, and lamp means mounted on said cover member beneath said cowl portion for illuminating the working area when said cover member is in normal position and illuminating said mechanism within the interior of said two channel structures when said cover member is in raised position.

2. A sewing machine, comprising a housing structure having a vertical pedestal and a horizontal arm extending from said pedestal and a sewing head subtending from said arm remote from said pedestal, said arm forming a channel open at the top and said head forming a channel open at the vertical front, a sewing machine mechanism disposed within said channels, a cover member disposed on top of said arm and having a cowl portion extending downwardly over the front of said head when said cover member is in normal position for fully enclosing said mechanism, said cover member being hinged to said structure at the pedestal side of said arm and being upwardly pivotable to a raised position in which said cowl portion is spaced from said head, strut means linking said cover member with said structure for holding said member in said raised position, and lamp means mounted on said cover member beneath said cowl portion for illuminating the working area when said cover member is in normal position and illuminating said mechanism within the interior of said two channels when said cover member is in raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,527,479 Hauenstein Feb. 24, 1925 

